Back catalogue: International

Review: Conjunto Medialuna's latest album on Little Beat More is a direct trip to the heart of Bogota's rich cumbia scene. The record blends traditional rhythms with psychedelic influences driven by the Colombian accordion and ecstatic percussion that is so strongly associated with this style. These are two of the jams from it, but frankly you should also check out the full LP. It's a tribute to the guacharaca and the lively street parrandas where each song explores new interpretations of classic sounds. Featuring collaborations with N. Hardem, Mismo Perro, Son Rompe Pera, MC Hydro and Japanese-Latin percussionist Muupy, Noches de Medialuna, it transcends cultural boundaries and joins the dots between traditional and modern urban Latin music which is now so hugely popular around the world.

Review: Eclectic Beats Music is building up a fine head of steam and the sixth outing is a tidy 7" featuring two red-hot Latin broken beat cuts. The opener is a collaborative remix from Born74 and Fradinho who do a superb job of flipping Jorge Ivan Martin's original gem 'Yo Tambien Baile La Conga' into something more contemporary with fresh broken beats, plenty of steamy Latin flavours all finished off in electric fashion with Frank Santiuste's trumpet solos. Flip this one over and you will find Fradinho unearth an easier cut and again update with some compelling broken beats and funk as well as a rich bassline and silky synth solos.

Review: This six-track release from the Musci archives offers up sounds that blend traditional instruments with synthesisers and electronics. It comes with remixes by Cut Hands and Nokuit and highlights the work of Roberto Musci, an Italian ethnomusicologist who has been active since the mid-80s. Musci's music gained renewed interest following the 2016 Tower of Silence compilation and got praise from legends like the late Ryuichi Sakamoto. It's dense, challenging, and unlike much else you will hear this year.

Review: Recorded in Essaouira, Morocco, Pedro Vian and Maalem Nabob Soudani present an exercise in melding the traditional and unorthodox, the old and new, the abstract and the direct, the exotic and, well, something even more exotic. Rooted in the Gnawa sound, but leaning heavily into deep electronic worlds, EMS AKS Synthi and buchla meet the qrebeb and guimbiri, everything contrasting yet complementing. The result is this intoxicating brew that transports you to the North African coastline on which this collection was conceived and captured, and then onto somewhere that's almost beyond the terrestrial. Close your eyes, allow the hypnotic looped musical phrases and organic aesthetic of the recording itself to wash over you, through, and around your body. Something to truly get lost in and a fantastic example of cross-pollination done properly.

Review: Recorded in New York in 1966, Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata" - her first for the legendary Reprise Records imprint - has long been considered one of the most important and influential South African albums of all time. Strut certainly thinks so and has offered up a "definitive version" that contains both mono and stereo mixes of the album, alongside new sleeve notes that tell the singer's remarkable story in vivid detail. Musically the set is rooted in jazz, but also incorporates sounds, rhythms and instrumentation not only reflective of Makeba's home country, but also nods to American soul, Latin rhythms and calypso (the latter showcasing the influence of her mentor, Harry Belafonte).

Review: Archeo love a good archive story, not least when it comes from the annals of Italian studio history. Here is one such story featuring Manrico Mologni and Nicola Calgari, who collaborated around 1990 on a series of rich, accomplished recordings with a highly musical, multi-instrumental backbone and the swoon of chanson in its heart. Due to Manrico's serious illness, these recordings were buried on a DAT and forgotten for 30 years, only to be recalled, recovered from DAT and given their chance in the sunshine. It's very much in line with Archeo's tastes - lush, dreamy pop with a Balearic tint, lovingly mastered and presented with the serious collectors in mind.

Review: Marewrew, a female vocal group specialising in traditional Ainu songs, takes centre stage in Pingipung's exploration of the music of northern Japan's long-suppressed people. Produced by Oki Kano, who is known for his work with Ainu artists, Marewrew's a cappella renditions offer a fresh perspective on these age-old tunes. With voices familiar from their backing vocals for Umeko Ando, Marewrew's harmonious canons create captivating, trance-like experiences. Nature's whispers and birdcalls add depth, while tracks like 'Little Sea God' weave hypnotic tales. The album, Ukouk, curated by Andi Otto, showcases Marewrew's enchanting melodies, including unexpected cumbia and pop-inspired moments, accompanied by percussion and the Tonkori harp.

Review: Mariana Zwarg is an accomplished Brazilian flutist and saxophonist who presented her Universal Sexteto group in 2020 with the Nascentes album. Released on CD by Scubidu Music, it's now getting a vinyl pressing thanks to Equinox in Australia, getting the music further afield, which it thoroughly deserves. Zwarg's group deals in a modern, sprightly kind of jazz led by her own joyous vocals and flute flurries, but there's also a sense of the deep heritage of Brazilian jazz hanging behind everything she does. It's a vibrant album bursting with kinetic energy - just the kind of revitalising tonic to lift the spirits through long winter months in the Northern hemisphere.

Review: Jump 'N' Funk started life as a small event in New York, organized by Rich Medina in order to pay tribute to the genius of Fela Kuti. Since then, parties have been held across the world, with Medina and guests showcasing music by, or inspired by, the Nigerian Afrobeat legend. This debut Jump N Funk compilation follows a similar formula, delivering both purist Afrobeat cuts (see Fela's punchy "Stalemate", and "Na Oil" by son Seun and his band, Egypt 80), and tracks in other styles that draw heavily on the style. Highlights in the latter category include the hazy Afro hip-hop of Aquil, a tasty Afro-house dub of River Ocean's cover of Timmy Thomas' classic "Why Can't We Live Together", and the lazy, sun-kissed glory of Kutiman's "Bango Fields".

Review: Charif Megarbane is a prolific producer and instrumentalist from Beirut and he is back once again with Marzipan, a first contemporary full length on Habibi Funk. It is a deep trip into his musical universe which mixes up influences from Lebanon and the Mediterranean and artists such as Ziad Rahbani, Ahmed Malek and Issam Hajali. All 17 tracks show off his mastery of composition as much as antigen else - freewheeling grooves from gypsy jazz to ethno-funk that draw on the energies of a bustling market, the lush atmospheres of a sun beach resort and various other of his surrounding soundscapes. It is hugely transportative and excellent escapism.

Review: In 2019, Resistencia Sonora was born as a collaborative project uniting urban and rural ethnic-peasant resistances in Montes de Maria, Colombia's western Caribbean. Rooted in a musical epicentre renowned for gaita, cumbia, bullerengue, son palenque, son de negro and accordion styles like porros and pajaritos, the initiative celebrates and preserves the region's rich folkloric life. This album documents festive gatherings, knowledge exchange and co-creation inspired by composer Andres Narvaez, a social leader and land-rights activist. His vision brought musicians together to uphold traditions and honour regional elders and this limited edition vinyl includes a 12-page bilingual booklet with extra background.

Review: Mi Latinoamerica Sufre is a concept album that seeks to explore the electric guitar's potential in tropical Latin music. Inspired by African highlife and soukous, it reflects the vibrant sounds of Colombian pico sound system dances. The Meridian Brothers are led by Alvarez and embrace a clean, distortion-free approach that pays homage to 70s Congolese rumba, Ghanaian highlife, and Nigerian Afrobeat. The album blends cumbia, champeta, tropicalia and psychedelic rock while remaining centred on Afro-Latino rhythms and through the character Junior Maximiliano the Third, the album humorously explores ego, identity and self-discovery with Alvarez's vocals adding extra charm to what is a sonic and psychological journey.

Review: The second release from Want Some Records features the first album by The Mighty Cavaliers from Kenya. Though not released in its original sequence, this album is a stunning showcase of Kenyan funk-inspired music. Each band member contributed to the songwriting process during the making of the album which means it has resulted in a diverse and unique collection of tracks where each has its own distinct character. Originally released in 1976 and 1978 as Fisherman, this masterpiece is now being reissued for the third time in a very limited edition of 500 copies with a fresh cover design. It's an enduring favourite so don't sleep on this latest chance to cop it.

Review: Nigerian singer, songwriter, and guitar legend, Mdou Moctar should need no introduction if you keep an ear to the ground of sub-Saharan African music. Then again, the vague region covers a vast area - land in all four hemispheres and around 15% of the Earth's walkable surface. So you could be forgiven for missing out on an individual artist if, for example, you weren't already looking for them specifically. Or relied on Western culture media for tips on what to hear next. That said, problematically tunnel-visioned as the North Atlantic-hegemony of commentators can be, Moctar has been something of a darling to UK, European and US musos for a while now. On Tears of Injustice he presents a convincing case for their continued adoration. A master of Tuareg, a style of music also known as desert blues, it's an intoxicating sound that easily transports and invokes, even if the predominantly Tamasheq language he sings in remains a mystery - arguably another factor in the powerful mythology surrounding his legacy.

Review: Lebanese singer Pol Seif has linked with various European instrumentalists for this Molo Sayat project , which has its base camp around the Med. The band compose their material in Arabic, Italian and Romani languages and their first release on Zephyrus Records oozes a soul soothing calmness and plenty of colourful folk sounds. The musicianship is second to none as saxophone, clarinet, double bass and trumpets are all blended into one smooth and beautiful soundscape as Serf's voice adds another layer of magic. Whether jazzy and upbeat such as 'Kai Zhas Seka' or slow and mournful like 'Adame' these are all essential sounds.

Review: You might know Airto Moreira and Flora Purim as the King and Queen of Brazilian Jazz and for good reason. They have spent more than the last half decade putting out some of their homeland's finest and most richly rewarding jazz albums as well as playing exhilarating live shows all over the world. They have found favour with jazz lovers everywhere as a result, from Japan's concert halls to the UK's jazz-funk scenes. If You Will was their last album back in 2022 and it got a Grammy, and now A Celebration: 60 Years - Sounds, Dreams & Other Stories brings together some of their best work from over the last 60 odd years. Essential stuff.

Review: Brighton based record label, publishers, cinematographers and legendary former London record store Mr Bongo present the first installment in their new 'Mr Bongo Record Club' compilation series. It features, in their words "a selection of favourites, recent discoveries and sought after obscurities, which form the basis of our DJ sets and our radio show of the same name." There really is some great music on here that has been sourced from all corners of the globe and as much as they're oldies: they certainly are goodies. Our favourites weren't limited to: Brazilian duo Lemos E Debetio's charming "Morro Do Barraco Sem Agua", the African funk explosion of Lantei's "Fish & Funjee (Komi Ke Kenam)" and some truly hot reggae vibes in the form of Big Youth's 1977 unclassic "Mammy Hot Daddy Cool" among many others on this fine compilation.

Review: Mustafa's masterfully crafted new debut album is called Dunya which translates from Arabic to "the world in all its flaws." The Sudanese-Canadian artist digs deep into religious devotion, childhood trauma, gang violence and romantic intimacy in hugely personal ways throughout the record and showcases his superb songwriting ability. His blend of genres from hip-hop to soul and r&b comes with novelistic details, lasting hooks and raw and earnest words. It features appearances from collaborators such as Aaron Dessner, Rosali?a, Clairo and Nicolas Jaar but amongst all that Mustafa's confident, distinctive voice shines bright.

Review: Kampala's Nyege Nyege is no longer a niche name in electronic music, having risen to become Africa's most prominent stable for experimental synthesised tracks, carving out not necessarily a sound - artists and albums vary pretty wildly - but a kind of aesthetic which, once recognised, can usually be identified in most output. Of course, there's a problem there, with so much light now being shone on Uganda and the label itself, meaning so much else is missed from nearby countries, let alone this vast continent. Nevertheless, all that attention is not without good reason, and this collaboration between Durban, South Africa-based gqom futurists Phelimuncasi and abstract sound system crew Metal Preyers is a case in point. At once rooted in authentic African dance genres, and yet staunchly determined to reconfigure them, it's pretty much unlike anything you'll hear this week/month/year.

Review:  Waaju & Majid Bekkas's Alouane exemplifies the power of collaboration during challenging times. As bringing overseas artists to the UK grows increasingly difficult, this record bridges cultural and generational gaps while capturing the vibrant energy of live collaboration post-Covid-19. Conceived by Waaju bandleader Ben Brown, the album features his expansive arrangements of traditional Gnawa songs and blends Bekkas' musical prowess with Waaju's signature grooves and trippy delays. Bekkas, a key figure in Moroccan Gnawa music, had never collaborated with a UK band until this project. Alouane, meaning "colours" in Arabic, reflects the seven integral colours of Gnawa music, each invoking different spirits.